Natural Therapies
A Miracle Of The Summer</b><b>The Arnica (The Queen Of The Medicinal Herbs)
Some years ago, I met the heaven here, on earth. I met a real piece of heaven, located at Piatra Craiului, where, at the mountain lawn, there are millions of flowers floating on the warm summer breeze; it is a place where the rocks are embraced by the blue sky, where springs of clear water ooze through the huge steep peaks. In the mountains, hidden from the human sight, there is a clearing where you can meet no human being. In order to reach this place, you should climb the abrupt mountain, cross a common spruce wood, with a lot of trails left by bears and wild boars; at the border of the wood, the clearing appears in an incredible brilliance. There, you can see only yellow fields of globeflowers, sprinkled with arnica golden corolla. It is true that during the last four years the queen of the medicinal herbs has not bloomed as it used to, and that pollution affects it as much as it affects many other species that have dramatically stopped growing in the mountains of our country. At Piatra Craiului, the leaves and the roots of this plant have not disappeared, even though they hardly bloom, in places, appearing to be waiting for some better periods. With its smell -a mixture of suavity and force- , the arnica seems to insinuate the existence of some mysterious, beneficent nature forces. This is the flower that the Romans used to heal the wounds got in fights, the Dacian people put in their elixirs for getting cured and for a long life; the secret of these elixirs was kept only by the wizards from the mountains. It was this flower, too, the one that saved the life of one of the greatest poets of the world, Goethe, who then venerated it. Actually, it is impossible not to love this precious flower, a combination of suavity, beauty and force.
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<b>What arnica looks like and where we can find it
Arnica (Arnica Montana) is an herbaceous species, 30-40 cm. tall, with a big, yellow and beautiful flower, like a sunflower in miniature. It grows on the alpine hay-fields, at more than 1200 m height, especially where it has more humidity and more light. Its leaves are light green, their shape is elongateoval and they have some very short and wiry hairs (especially on the floriferous stalks). It blooms varying with the altitude it is situated, from June to the end of August.
Reaping Arnica
This plant is likely to be soon protected by law, although its disappearance in not caused by irrational reaping, but by pollution, which drives it to the hidden areas from the mountains (even if there are not many left); here it grows free and easy. You should take only the flower (without the root, leaves or floriferous stalk), which is to be picked up only on sunny days, between 11 and 13 oclock. The flower contains a lot of water and volatile substances, which give it a strong, however pleasant and distinct smell. Unfortunately, by drooping, this plant is deprived of more than a half of its properties as the flower continues the process of maturing, while being drooped; it also exhausts all its reserves, forming, in the end, a villus, resembling the one of the dandelion, which has less therapeutic properties than the flower. Consequently, the most effective arnica products are the ones obtained from the fresh plant, made at most 4 hours after reaping the plant. There may also be used the plant which is artificially drooped, in a hot air stream (45 o C), so that the process of forming the villus should be stopped.
</b><b>Some receipts based on arnica
Arnica tincture
It is, for sure, the most effective product for internal use obtained from the arnica. The fresh flower, reaped no more than 4 hours ago, should be finely minced and then put into a jar, without being stuffed, so that it could fill three quarters of the jar. Then you should fill the jar with 80o alcohol, stirring continuously; then, the jar should be closed tightly and left to steep for 10 days. Afterwards, the tincture should be strained using some lint and is to be kept in some small, dark-colored phials. Arnica oil
It is a very effective treatment against contusions, fractures, sprains and other injuries. It is to be prepared using fresh flowers, as in the previous case. A handful of fresh flowers should be finely minced, put into a jar and then you should pour a glass (200ml.) of double refined sunflower oil. It should be left in the sun for 3 weeks and then it should be strained. Before straining, remove the mould, if any. Arnica powder
It may be obtained from drooped flower, by grinding it with an electric coffee mill and bolting it with a bolter for white flour. What you get is a fine powder with aromatic smell; you should take a quantity equal to a tip of knife 4 times a day. Arnica cataplasm
A handful of drooped arnica flower should be finely minced, then put into a pot and mixed with lukewarm water till a moist paste is obtained. This paste should be wrapped in a piece of lint and then it should be applied onto the affected area. As the arnica irritates the skin (especially for the people with light complexion), you should use equal quantities of arnica and blackwort root (Symphytum officinale), finely minced; the blackwort is a strong anti-inflammatory and skin protector. In order to be effective, the arnica and blackwort cataplasm should be applied for 2-4 hours a day on the affected area.
The diseases against which the treatment with arnica is effective
Immunitary deficiencies - people who are liable to fall ill easily, who suffer from bronchitis, cystitis or renal infections whenever there occur temperature variations, a previous cure with arnica is advisable; it is a real elixir for the immunitary system. The arnica is one of the plants that contain small molecule immuno-stimulent, like the Echinacea, being however considered more effective than the latter. You should drink the tincture - 30-50 drops three times a day, dissolved in half a glass of water. A cure lasts 20 days, followed by a 10 day break. Usually, three successive cures are recommended.
Semi paresis, paralysis, and vascular attack - Arnica is beneficial to the central nervous system and the circulatory system, being effective for restoring their functions. The tincture should be used in long-lasting cures: one teaspoonful of it twice a day, in the morning and in the evening. Especially for the old people, the treatment will be more effective if they take, at the same time, a teaspoonful filled to the brim of equal parts of the following powders mixture -twice a day- : rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), marjoram (Marjorana hortensis), wild thyme (Thymus Serpyllum), garden sage (Salvia officinalis) and lavender (Lavandula angustifolia).
Cranium-cerebral traumatism, post-traumatic headaches although this action is difficult to explain in the terms of present-day science, the golden-yellow flower of this plant is a real shockproof remedy. Arnica is amazingly effective especially for those who suffered from concussions, who have lesions of the cerebral trunk or who were left with strong headaches or migraines after some physical or psychic shocks. I made sure of its effect many years ago when I assisted the treatment of a student who had had a motorcycle accident with cranial traumatism because of which he had some unbearable headaches. He began undergoing a treatment with arnica -1/2 teaspoonful of tincture poured into some water, 4 times a day; after 4 weeks of treatment, his condition began to get visibly better. After 6 months, his headaches occurred rarely, and after he took a few pills of Ginko Biloba plant he completely regained his ability to learn and to memorize.
Influenza, colds, and pulmonary virosis - you should take 50 drops of arnica tincture diluted in half of a mug of mint tea which has been cooled off, 4 times a day (the mint tea should be prepared using one teaspoonful of minced plant for one mug of water). Arnica strongly stimulates the immunity, makes the fever lower and calms down the cough fits; it may be successfully combined with the mint, which stimulates the respiration and reduces the congestion and inflammation states.
Psychic shock, neurosis, hysteria - as an emergency remedy against psychic shock, you should use not diluted arnica tincture: one teaspoonful of tincture should be put under the tongue for a few seconds and then it should be swallowed. In order to treat the after effects of the psychic shock, as well as neurosis and hysteria, you should take 30 drops of arnica tincture diluted in water, three times a day. This treatment may be successfully completed with a combination of equal parts of St. Johns wort (Hypericum perforatum) and mint powder, one teaspoonful of each, 4 times a day.
Insomnia, nightmares, cardiac palpitations, fear without any reason (especially during the night) - the combination of equal parts of arnica tincture and valerian tincture (which can be obtained from the root of this plant in the same way as the arnica tincture is obtained) is an amazingly effective remedy. You should take 1-2 teaspoonfuls of this mixture in a half a mug of water, without previously eating anything, before going to bed.
External use of Arnica
Wounds - Priest Kneipp, the father of the modern natural medicine, used to say that the arnica tincture was a precious cure in the emergency treatment, as well as in the long lasting one of all kind of wounds. Cleansing the wound with arnica tincture reduces the risk of infection, facilitates the cicatrisation and tissue fast recover. Old wounds that are hard to heal, varicose ulcers, the wounds that appear at the people who are bed-ridden or immobilized in wheelchairs do not respond to any other natural or allopathic treatment as they respond to the cleansing with arnica tincture compresses. Those people who have a much reduced regeneration capacity should combine the arnica tincture with blackwort root (Symphytum officinale) tincture, in equal parts.
Tongue cancer, mouth cavity cancer, larynx cancer, and pharynx cancer - you should attentively rinse your mouth and you should gargle three times a day using a mixture of equal parts of arnica tincture and birthwort herb (Aristolochia sp.) tincture. The tinctures should be mixed with water in a proportion of 1:2 -1:4. The treatment is long lasting - at least 3 months. The birthwort herb (Aristolochia sp.) tincture may be obtained from the leaves and the flower of the plant in the same way as the arnica tincture is obtained.
Scars, cheloid scars and skin cancer - the most illustrative example for the effectiveness of the treatment based on this plant, is the following situation I witnessed six years ago: I was in the consulting room of one of the doctors I was working with, when a woman came in with her 10 year old daughter. The little girl was incredibly beautiful - everything was perfect, from the purity of her blue eyes to the well proportionate body. I was more than amazed when I found out that she suffered from skin cancer in incipient form. Everything had started from a burn with boiling water, which had healed with some hideous scars that then began to swell and to extend. The smooth and transparent skin of that girl was maimed and swollen. The diagnosis was: cheloid scars with a high risk of becoming malignant. Her parents had taken the little girl to the most renowned clinics from Austria and Germany, they had bought extremely expensive ointments; however, not only that the process of the formations" spreading was not stopped, but it was also more and more quickened. The girl began to undergo an external treatment: twice a day she applied a cataplasm well soaked in arnica tincture in which they had poured a few drops of bee glue tincture. The cataplasm was applied for half an hour, and then, the lesions were left completely uncovered, for two hours. One week after beginning this procedure, the process of extension was stopped and after two months of treatment, the formations began to recede. Last time I saw the little girl, after six months of treatment, I could hardly see a few marks instead of that swollen and extended mass, which had covered the whole skin of her thighs.
Extended lesions skin cancer - you should apply a compress soaked in a combination of equal parts of arnica tincture and birthwort herb (Aristolochia sp.) tincture for half an hour; then the lesions are left uncovered, to dry, for two hours. After these two hours, you should smear the lesions with bee glue tincture (which can effectively cicatrize and regenerate the healthy tissues); then you should let the wounds uncovered for another half an hour. The treatment should be undergone at least once a day.
Abdominal tumors - you should apply compresses with a mixture of equal parts of arnica tincture and birthwort herb (Aristolochia sp.) tincture for 2-4 hours a day. The compress should be covered with nylon, in order to prevent the evaporation, and then it should be fastened with leucoplast. To prevent the steeping of the teguments, you should smear the skin with a thin layer of blackwort (Symphytum officinale) ointment before applying the compress.
Cardiac ischemia, angina pectoris, and heart diseases in general you should gently massage the heart area with arnica tincture for 5-10 minutes a day. This is an ancient remedy from the popular medicine of the Saxon population living in Transylvania, which has proved to have miraculous effects many times.
Beware of the toxicity of this plant
Being used internally in doses more than 7 g. of plant as such or 25 ml. (5 teaspoonfuls) of tincture, the arnica becomes toxic. The symptoms of the intoxication are: dizziness, troubles in keeping ones balance, difficulties to move, tremble of the limbs, respiratory and digestive problems. The first aid consists in administering medicinal coal and provoking vomiting, a specialized treatment being immediately necessary. The arnica will not be administered to the children under 3 years old and to the pregnant women.Ilie TudorAddress the "Dacia-Plant" company from Sebes, Alba, tel. 0744/374556 or 0258/732182 for buying arnica tincture or any other preparations based on this plant.